Arrangement for night watchman controls



y 1951 y L. F. B. AHLBERG ETAL 2,559,746

ARRANGEMENT FOR NIGHT WATCI-IMAN CONTROLS Filed April 15, 1949 RECORDING DEVICE 2 CONTROL C L R2 2 m STATION 26 RECORDING DEVICE 2/ r24 Ll CONTROL STATION 15 I6 RECORDING k r DEVICE r Q P wfi+ I K CONTROL STATION I121; entnm Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARRANGEMENT FOR NIGHT WATCHMAN CONTROLS Application April 15, 1949, Serial No. 87,764 In Sweden April 26, 1948 Claims. (01. 177-360) The present invention relates to an arrangement for night watchman control with a number of control stations, where the watchman marks his presence during his beats. In certain systems, this marking takes place so .that the watchman breaks during a short time a contact in a circuit to a relay corresponding to each of the contact places. These relays can be used to eifect marking on a recording device and to produce alarm signals, if the watchmans beat should show abnormal delays. The watchman usually calls at the control stations in a certain order while making his rounds.

The object of the present invention is partly .to render a control of the watchmans work possible and partly to obtain an effective alarm system with simple connecting means in such a system, where the watchman can go from any control station directly to any other of the stations on his rounds.

According to the invention, this is accomplished in such a way by arranging the circuits for the relays corresponding to the control stations, in relation to each other and to a special supervisory relay, that after the watchman has broken the circuit for a relay, said relay remains unattracted until the circuit for another of the relays, which can be actuated from one of the control stations, has been broken. The supervisory relay will then receive current over contacts on the relays corresponding to the control stations in such a way, that said supervisory relay becomes de-energized and releases when at least two of said relays are unattracted.

The invention will be described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a connection diagram for a nightwatchman control system.

At the bottom of the circuit diagram a continuously rotating cam disc K is shown which at regular intervals emits electrical impulses to a warning lamp LV over its contact arm. The night watchman passes on his rounds a number of control stations, of which three, Pl P2 and P3, are shown on the drawing. At each of the control stations there are electrical contacts, which in a well known manner are broken :at a certain time when the watchman passes. Each control station is connected to a corresponding relay RI, R2 and R3, respectively, provided with two windings and normally actuated over the contact at the control station in a circuit through the right winding of the relay. This winding is, however, designed so that the normal current cannot actuate the relay. The relay is operated a by current through the left winding. There is for each relay and consequently for each control station a recording device Cl, C2 and C3, respectively which can for instance consist of an electro-magnet with an associated writing pen in a recording instrument. When, for example, a relay R2 is released by the watchman breaking the contact at the control station P2, said relay closes a circuit over its contact 2| for the electro-magnet in the device C2 to the conductor of the impulse circuit from the cam disc K, whereby registration takes place while contact 2| is closed. If there are for example 24 control stations Pl, P2, P3 etc., the recording devices will then consist of 24 writing pens in a recording instrument. Each of the relays RI, R2, and R3, as well as the corresponding relays, has two contact springs l2, l3 and respectively 22, 23 and 32, 33, which are connected in two branches I2, 22, 32 and I3, 23, 33 respectively, forming parallel parts of the circuit of a supervisory relay RV, either part circuit being completed according to the sequence of operation of the relays. These contacts springs are connected in series in said branches in such a Way, that the left contact spring of each relay is in one of the branches, and the right one in the other branch of the circuit, and they are furthermore arranged so that when a relay, for example R2, is released and said circuits are broken at both contact springs 22, 23, a new circuit simultaneously is formed through supervisory relay RV over contact spring 23, which last mentioned circuit is completed over the left contact spring l2 of relay RI and the right contact spring 33 of relay R3. Upon release of a relay, the right contact spring of the relays in the relay series RI, R2, R3, etc., is connected in the other branch. Should, however, after the release of relay R2, a further relay R3 or RI be released, the circuit to supervisory relay RV is completely broken at contact 33 or contact l2. Supervisory relay RV thus remains operated until at least two relays in the relay series Rl R2, R3, etc., have been released.

During the watchmans rounds one of the relays in the relay series B! R2, R3, etc. is released. If we suppose, that the watchman has first passed the control station Pl, relay R! has been released when the contact at station PI has been broken. The right winding alone cannot actuate the relay when the said contact is made again, and the left winding, which is now in circuit over the contact M of the relay, cannot be energized until supervlsory relay RV is released and closes its contact 43. As mentioned before, supervisory relay RV is contact G3 is closed and the left winding on relay. RI receives current, which causes said relay, to.

operate and restore its contact springs 52, l3th the position shown on the drawing. A branch i2, 22, 33 is again closed through'supervi'sory ree lay RV, which thus re-operates. The saidopera tion of the relays has taken place during'the rela-- tively short time, when the contact at control station P3 is broken. When said: contact isree closed on the watchman continuing his"r.ounds,, relay R3 remains released while the other. relays. in the relay series as well as supervisoryrelayRV are still operated.

lithe watchman had called at control station P2 instead of PS, the corresponding operation would have taken place. This would also have been the case, if the watchman had gone directly to any one of the other control stations, since all the relays corresponding to said control stations have two contacts connected in the same manner in the parallel branches of the circuit through supervisory relay RV. The watchman can thus go diiferent ways on each round without the functioning of the system being disturbed. During the time any of relays R5, R2, R3, etc. is released, this time element is registered by the corresponding recording device Cl, C2, G3, etc. over contacts I I, 2!, 3i, etc. of these relays. The registering consequently takes place while the watchman walks between two control stations. During the same time a circuit is completed for an indicating lamp Ll, L2, or L3, etc. over a contact it, 26, or 36, etc. of the associated relay and the lamp is lighted.

An alarm relay Ra connected in parallel with a condenser and having a release time of about five seconds is also shown on the drawing. This relay receives current over one of contacts [5, 25. 35, etc. on the relay in the relay series whichever is released; If, however, there is'an interruption in the circuit to supervisory relay RA for more than five seconds, relay RA is released and closes over its contact 52 a circuit for an alarm device AA. The same process takes place if supervisory relay RV is released more than live seconds, relay RV having a contact at in the circuit through relay RA.

There is, furthermore, in the system a stepping relay with a re-setting magnet RSI and a stepping magnet RS2, which receives current impulses from the circuit controlled by the cam disc K. After a certain number of current impulses corresponding to the longest time needed by the watchman to move between two control stations, a contact 55 is closed in the stepping relay by its stepping wheel. In this way alarm signals are obtained through a signal lamp LS and an alarm bell AS. The stepping Wheel isrestored to initial position each time supervisory relay RV is released and breaks at contact 42 the current to the re-setting magnet RS 9. Supervisory relaJyRV has also a contact ll in the impulse circuit from the cam disc K to the warning lamp LV. On supervisory relay RV being released said contact is' broken and the warning lamp stops blinking.

We claim:

1. In a signalling circuit for recording the rounds of night watchmen, a; plurality of spaced apart call boxes, a relay for each call box, a local circuit for each call box and relay and normally holding the relay operated, a first load circuit for each relay including a tape recorder, a supervisoryrelay, and a dual branch second load circuit including contacts of all of said call box relays and the winding of said supervisory relay whereby said supervisory relay is released when at least two .of, saidcallbox relays have been released and 'is..operated again as soon as one of the two call box relays is operated.

2} a signalling. circuit for recording the rounds of night watchmen, a plurality of spaced apart "call boxes, a relay for each call box having a holding'winding normally holding the relay operated. and an operating winding for rest'oringthe relay to operated condition, a first load. circuit for each rela including a tape record'er, a supervisory relay, a dual branch second load circuit including contacts of all of said call box relays and the winding of said supervisory relay, anda local circuit for all oi said callbox relays including the operating windings thereof and the contacts of said supervisory relay whereby when a call box relay is released the supervisory relay holds the local circuit of the latter open until a second call box relay has been released.

3. In a signalling circuit for recording the rounds ofnight watchmen, a plurality of'spaced apart call boxes, a relay for each call box having a first pair of normally open contacts, a second pair of normally closed contacts, and a third pair ofnormally closed contacts including a movable contact adap-ted to close on the fixed contact of the second pair, a local circuit for each call box and" relay and normally holding the relay operated, a first load circuit for each rela ineluding a tape recorder, a supervisory relay, and a dual branch second load circuit including the winding of the supervisory relay and the branches including respectively the second and third pairs of normally closed contacts of each of the call box relays whereby upon the release of one call box relay the operating circuit of the supervisory relay is maintained partly through'each branch and upon the release of a second call box relay saidcircuit is broken.

4. In a signalling circuit for recording the rounds of night watchmen, a plurality of spaced apart call boxes, a relay for each call box hav-- ing a holding winding-capal'aleonly of holding the relay closed, an operating winding for closing the relay, and a first pair of normally open contacts in circuit with said operating winding, a. normally closed local circuit through each call box and the holding winding of the associated relay, a first load circuit for each call box relay includi'ng' a tape recorder, a normally closed supervisory relay having a pair of normally open contacts, a dual branch second load circuit including contacts of all of said call box relays and the Winding of said supervisory relay, and an operating local circuit through the normally open contacts of said supervisory relay, the operating windings and first pair of normally open contacts of said call box relays, whereby the latter circuit is completed when the supervisory relay has been released.

5. In a signalling circuit for recording the rounds ofnight watchmen, a plurality of spaced apart call boxes, a relay for each call box having a; normally open set of contacts, a local circuit .for each call box and relay and normall holding the relay operated, a supervisory relay having a pair of normally closed contacts, a dual branch second load circuit including contacts of all of REFERENCES CITED said can box relays and the Winding of said Super" The following references are of record in the visory relay, and a circuit including a time delay file of this patent; alarm, the normally open contacts of said call 5 box relays and the normally closed contacts of UNITED STATES PATENTS said supervisory relay whereby said alarm is en- Number Name Date ergized within a predetermined time after a first 1,942,814 Hopkins Jan. 9, 1934 call box relay is released unless a second call box 2,320,150 Loughridge May 25, 1943 relay is released or the supervisory relay is not 10 restored to normal operated condition within the FOREIGN PATENTS same period of time. Number Country Date LARS FOLKE BERTIL AHLBERG, 795,638 France Mar. 18, 1936 SVEN TORVALD FREDRIK SUNDBERG. 

